Thursday, April 21, 2011

2011 Belk Bowl Will Be Played In Primetime

10th Annual Belk Bowl Kickoff Set for 8 p.m. on Tuesday, December 27th

Charlotte, N.C.– For the first time, the Belk Bowl will be played in primetime. The 2011 game will take place on Tuesday, December 27th, with an 8:00 p.m. kickoff and televised nationally on ESPN, it was announced today by Charlotte Collegiate Football, owner and operator of the game.

The 10th Annual Belk Bowl features a matchup of the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East Conference. The game isplayed at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

“We are excited to announce that we will be playing the Belk Bowl in primetime for the first time,” said Executive Director Will Webb. “The bowl has been a tremendous success, both on the field and off. With this being the first year of Belk’s title sponsorship, we are looking forward to our best year ever. Playing the game at night for the first time will be a great opportunity to expand the reach of the game, both in the Charlotte community and nationally on ESPN. We are very proud that we have been chosen to kick off a week of primetime bowl action.”

"We are very pleased the 2011 Belk Bowl will be played in primetime," said Belk Chairman & CEO Tim Belk. "The synergy of our first year title sponsorship and the first year of ESPN's primetime coverage will allow us to expand our reach and reputation throughout our footprint. It's a great recognition for the Bowl and opportunity for Belk to take our Modern.Southern.Style. to a national audience."

The first college bowl game to call the Carolinas home, the Belk Bowl has averaged almost 60,000 fans each year with three sellouts in its nine years. In addition, the game has reached over 25 million television households. In 2003, it was named one of the five best start-ups in sports over the past five years by the Sports Business Journal, behind only the NFL Houston Texans and ESPN the Magazine.

Charlotte Collegiate Football, a non-profit organization, runs the Belk Bowl and serves as the local organizing committee for the Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game. The Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game, in its seventh year, was played in Charlotte on December 3, 2010. Last year’s sold out game was the first one played in Charlotte. The winner of the championship earns the ACC bid to play in the Discover Orange Bowl, if not selected for the BCS National Championship Game. For more information, please visit belkbowl.com